When I first heard about growth hacking several years ago, I thought it was just a buzzword, startup jargon used only in San Francisco by guys with $3,000 suits and bare feet. But I was wrong! Growth hacking has become an essential element of starting and growing a new business.

Now that most of us have our footing back after Penguin 2.0, what’s ahead for SEO and social media marketing in the year to come? It’s clear that Google’s focus is on eliminating spam and enhancing the user experience through better content.

Is your business website just there – or is it a real online presence? To reap the benefits of what online marketing has to offer, you need to stand out from the competition – and that means increasing your Search Engine Results Page (SERP) ranking so your products or services rise to the top like proverbial cream. The good news is – this isn’t impossible and it doesn’t require a huge marketing budget. All you need is time, fresh content, and a strong message.

Just about every company you talk to or read about has embraced the power of social media, particularly in recent years. Business owners and entrepreneurs have acknowledged that social media is the next big thing of the future and are quick to cash in.

In essence, social media is not just about sharing content with your followers but rather discovering new and diverse opportunities to serve customers instantly, grow followership, build the brand, and much more. If we talk numbers, it is no surprise that almost half of the global population is living and breathing social media.